N Srinivasan, the BCCI president who has stepped aside while the board investigates the allegations of spot-fixing and gambling in the IPL, told a Tamil TV channel that there is a faction in the BCCI that is trying to oust him but he has done nothing wrong.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Srinivasan told Thanthi TV that it was not a conspiracy to remove him but an all out attack. “It is clear that one group may have been trying to get into the BCCI. Hence the attack."

As far as the motives for the attack go, the Times of India claimed that when Srinivasan was asked about Subramanian Swamy's tweet that stated there was a north Indian lobby targetting south Indians in the board, Srinivasan agreed.

A conspiracy to get him out of the BCCI? PTI

"It is an open secret that there is a conspiracy against south Indians," he said. "There is no charge against me but a lobby within the BCCI, which wanted to head the organisation but failed, has worked behind scenes to malign me. I will answer any number of questions. I have also the numbers within the BCCI. The truth will come out soon."

Srinivasan also said he was shocked by the allegations against India fast bowler Sreesanth, and that he was confident there was is no truth in the charges against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who was arrested by the Mumbai Police and charged with violations of the Gambling Act.

Srinivasan first came under pressure to resign as BCCI president when Meiyappan, an official with the Chennai Super Kings, was arrested a couple of weeks ago. Srinivasan is also managing director of India Cements, which owns CSK, further complicating the matter.

After much speculation in the media, Srinivasan agreed to step aside as president on 2 June and former president Jagmohan Dalmiya took over on an interim basis. Dalmiya is likely to head the board for a short period ranging from four to six weeks while the BCCI investigates the allegations against CSK and Rajasthan Royals.